Critical Consciousness (Freire, 1970) has been proposed as a protective factor for marginalized youth facing structural inequalities, facilitating their School-to-Work Transition (STWT; Masdonati et al., 2022) and their access to decent and dignified educational/vocational opportunities (Duffy et al., 2016). This study aims to investigate Critical Consciousness as experienced by marginalized youth in three countries with contrasting contexts in terms of labor market conditions, educational systems, and existing social policies. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 young people facing precarious STWT and enrolled in supportive measures in Switzerland (N=8), Brazil (N=8) and Mozambique (N=7). We explore participants' former trajectories to (a) identify the main barriers encountered, (b) assess their critical reflection regarding the nature of these barriers, and (c) their willingness to take action to overcome them. Data were analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2019) and Comparative Qualitative Analysis (Bertolini et al., 2018). Preliminary results suggest shared experiences in the three contexts of unequal opportunities due to ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic status. Different levels of critical reflection were observed, with most participants - especially in Switzerland and Brazil - attributing their vulnerabilities to personal traits or weaknesses, while some related them to structural barriers. Critical action was pointed by some participants as important, while difficult to achieve. Our results point to the impact of institutionalized meritocratic discourses on youth's perceptions of their vulnerabilities, which, in addition to a lack of social support, limit their agency and motivation to engage in action. Moreover, these results also echo the calls for contextualized interventions that move beyond reflexive skills, to foster youth's critical action (Diemer et al., 2021; Hooley et al., 2024). A group career intervention aiming at the development of youth's Critical Consciousness and social support is being elaborated in collaboration with practitioners.